[DanTurner]

Greetings all ya'll....

I've got a project to take with one bit of a peculiarity. It's an exterior deck, circa 1988 with PT joist system and completely rotted cedar decking....roughly 1100 sf.

It's not a bad site....just about knee to thigh height standing between the joists and the lady of the house makes outstandingly good coffee.

The problem is going to be....tear off. As the cedar is pretty much mulch grade now, there's nothing left for the old air hammer T-nails to grab...so for the few trials so far, the T-nails just slide through the old decking rather than dragging along and out of the joist. The decking was 2x4, but the nails were long enough to grab a good seat in the top of the joist...in huge multitudes of joists 16in centers.

Outside of a Sawzall....any other ideas are gratefully appreciated. I swear I've seen a steel bar with the V-inset that one just shoves along the surface that tears any nail out between the weight of the tool and a shove by the tool user.

The nice thing about a deck re-decking at knee level is obvious...unless you've got an open pin cushion of 25 year old T-nails just ready to rip a new one in any place that I least expect....or want.

Thanks

Dan Turner
Conyers, Ga

 

[Calidecks]

Greetings all ya'll.... I've got a project to take with one bit of a peculiarity. It's an exterior deck, circa 1988 with PT joist system and completely rotted cedar decking....roughly 1100 sf. It's not a bad site....just about knee to thigh height standing between the joists and the lady of the house makes outstandingly good coffee. The problem is going to be....tear off. As the cedar is pretty much mulch grade now, there's nothing left for the old air hammer T-nails to grab...so for the few trials so far, the T-nails just slide through the old decking rather than dragging along and out of the joist. The decking was 2x4, but the nails were long enough to grab a good seat in the top of the joist...in huge multitudes of joists 16in centers. Outside of a Sawzall....any other ideas are gratefully appreciated. I swear I've seen a steel bar with the V-inset that one just shoves along the surface that tears any nail out between the weight of the tool and a shove by the tool user. The nice thing about a deck re-decking at knee level is obvious...unless you've got an open pin cushion of 25 year old T-nails just ready to rip a new one in any place that I least expect....or want. Thanks Dan Turner Conyers, Ga

Your going to put new decking on twenty five year old joists?

 

[Dirtywhiteboy]

Your going to put new decking on twenty five year old joists?

:no: Don't do it:no:

 

[DanTurner]

Yup....they've weathered the storms...and pretty well too for what I can see so far. I'll do some demolition near to the ledger...if I do the job at all...and see how the cut ends fared close to the brickwork.

The age of the wood is one of the problems...those T-nails put in back then have found a happy home and aren't budging easily. The drip side of the joists are just as tough while trying to yank out a couple of 16p nails and a piece of bridging.

 

[DanTurner]

DWB - I shouldn't but the coffee is really good.

I'd hate to go on the clock just to clean the joists off and sawing just ain't gonna cut it.<G The petrified PT is going to be tough enough to slam nails back down without have to PING off of a piece of embedded nail that ain't moving...and those side mount decking clips probably won't be the best choice.

I seem to recall a "wonderbar" (not to be confused with wonderbra) that had two models...one notch to pound through a shank...and another style that was just right for this gig...a tear shaped hole in the bar that was extruded out at just the right length from the end so that you could work it into any tight spot....but those must have come and gone years ago. I can't find one new or even in someone's ebay tool pile.

 

[hdavis]

I'm watching a PT deck that was built in the 60s. Location and detailing are good, so the frame is solid after 50 years. Decking and rails have been replaced a few times.

One of these will get into tight spaces:

http://www.sears.com/crescent-19-in...1x000001&kpid=00930443000&kispla=00930443000P

As for just just ripping them out like stripping a roof, you may be able to use one of the roofing tools that have teeth, but I haven't tried it, and you may have to do a little grinding to get it just right.

 

[DanTurner]

I'm watching a PT deck that was built in the 60s. Location and detailing are good, so the frame is solid after 50 years. Decking and rails have been replaced a few times.

Yeah...I'm getting that bad feeling that I'll be pulling a lot of nails here in the near future. A lot of nails.<G I'm sure there will be another load of Cedar 2x4s to replace this wood....which I'm alright with. Nothin' like the smell of napalm or fresh cut cedar lumber in the morning.

 

[MarkJames]

What's a T-nail? Not familiar with the term.

I have a 2' flat bar with a right angle bend on one end. Sounds like that might work, along with a block to lean it against. Still, you have to lever each one out.

Edit:
I vaguely recall Stanley makes some whacky oversized demo bars for decking. Did you look at those? various Fubar styles

Maybe a straight cats paw? "Dead on nail puller", or Shark Corp 14 1/8" nail puller. (The extra 1/8" is what puts it over the top, I guess.)

Google images is a good thing.

 

[DanTurner]

What's a T-nail? Not familiar with the term.

I have a 2' flat bar with a right angle bend on one end. Sounds like that might work, along with a block to lean it against. Still, you have to lever each one out.

Edit:
I vaguely recall Stanley makes some whacky oversized demo bars for decking. Did you look at those? various Fubar styles

Maybe a straight cats paw? "Dead on nail puller", or Shark Corp 14 1/8" nail puller. (The extra 1/8" is what puts it over the top, I guess.)

Google images is a good thing.

I don't see them around much any longer as well. They're almost like a brad to cashing nail shaft and the flatten "T" on top....sold by the stick back then. They would have been ideal for tagging something down pretty snug...if the material hadn't rotted through.<G

I think I've got an old Xmas present cats paw around here somewhere, maybe I can snug that up flush to the top of the joist and then tap the notch into the nail and pull back.

This Wonderbar was a step up from the plain jane...the nail puller would be right on the head if not close enough when pushed over the nail...push forward or pull back...and out it was supposed to go. "Supposed to" being a key couple of words here....maybe that's why I haven't seen another one in a long time.<G

 

[Calidecks]

The duckbilled deckwrecker

 

[Calidecks]

Here's a link

http://www.deckwrecker.com/

 

[SmallTownGuy]

Ehh...

I've resurfaced 2 decks in recent months: One I salvaged the planking & just flipped them, the other, I put down new.

On that one, just ran the skilsaw down between the joists, tilted the shorty planks up, and buzzed through the nails with the 4" snag grinder - faster than the sawzall, and didn't burn through a bunch of expensive blades.

Pound the remains of the old shanks down & I was good to go.

All these pry bar things are too much like hard work - I know, I tried them too...

 

[CarpenterSFO]

Ehh...

I've resurfaced 2 decks in recent months: One I salvaged the planking & just flipped them, the other, I put down new.

On that one, just ran the skilsaw down between the joists, tilted the shorty planks up, and buzzed through the nails with the 4" snag grinder - faster than the sawzall, and didn't burn through a bunch of expensive blades.

Pound the remains of the old shanks down & I was good to go.

All these pry bar things are too much like hard work - I know, I tried them too...

Yup. 4" grinder is the thing.

 

[DanTurner]

Ehh...

I've resurfaced 2 decks in recent months: One I salvaged the planking & just flipped them, the other, I put down new.

On that one, just ran the skilsaw down between the joists, tilted the shorty planks up, and buzzed through the nails with the 4" snag grinder - faster than the sawzall, and didn't burn through a bunch of expensive blades.

Pound the remains of the old shanks down & I was good to go.

All these pry bar things are too much like hard work - I know, I tried them too...

Long, monotonous work at that.

It'll be a mix of stuff with the shape of this decking. If I was smart, I would do this the same way I was taught waaaaay back in the 60's. My boss would drop me off in the morning and tell me if you want me drive you home today, get those nails pulled by this afternoon.

 

[DanTurner]

Here's a link

http://www.deckwrecker.com/

Now...that's just the gift I think my wife would want for our upcoming anniversary. The only down side will be the sharp & pointed corners on that deck wrecker which will definitely scar me up before she's done.

Couldn't be any worse than the time I gave her a new worm drive saw for an anniversary. After I was discharged from ER, I cleaned it up and it became my favorite 6.5" saw on the truck.

thanks for the link...I like the deckwrecker. Two guys with two of these could do some serious damage in a couple of hours.

 

[dutchroots]

This may sound dumb, and maybe too much work. But how about cutting the joists loose and turning them over?

 

[mudpad]

Now...that's just the gift I think my wife would want for our upcoming anniversary. The only down side will be the sharp & pointed corners on that deck wrecker which will definitely scar me up before she's done.

Couldn't be any worse than the time I gave her a new worm drive saw for an anniversary. After I was discharged from ER, I cleaned it up and it became my favorite 6.5" saw on the truck.

thanks for the link...I like the deckwrecker. Two guys with two of these could do some serious damage in a couple of hours.

I got one of those when I re did my deck a few years ago. Works good, but if you got ring shank nails thru cedar deck into PT, you will mostly be pulling the deck boards up and the nails will stay in the joists. Then you can break them off flush or pull with a standard crow bar.

 

[DanTurner]

This may sound dumb, and maybe too much work. But how about cutting the joists loose and turning them over?

If there's some major issues...it's stacked in the back of my mind for a fix; but a 1000sf of joists would be a chore to flip and hope for the best against about the errant crown or two or three or more.

Thanks!

Dan

 

[Calidecks]

If there's some major issues...it's stacked in the back of my mind for a fix; but a 1000sf of joists would be a chore to flip and hope for the best against about the errant crown or two or three or more. Thanks! Dan

joists aren't that much money. If your going to go through all that trouble, it sure would be nice fastening on new material. if you can find the money, that would be the ideal way to go.

 

[Morning Wood]

Just pull the nails with a big bar. If they are coming out tough, give them a smack downward into the joists to loosen them.